Business Continuity Audit

We were all born salespeople. Over the years we have been brainwashed by our family members, our friends and other uninformed people on how NOT to sell, or at least not to sell naturally.

Some of the best salespeople don’t think of themselves as salespeople. They think of themselves as people that “enjoy” other people.

Do you know how to ask questions? Do you know how to listen? Do you know how to carry on a conversation?

These are all natural sales skills that we all possess. These are also skills that can be improved dramatically with proper sales training.

What Makes A Good Salesperson?

Sales is a hot career these days, with many big organisations eager to hire top salespeople.

Partly due to the Internet, salespeople need different skills now than they did in the past. So much information is easily available to people that they can get detailed product descriptions,compare products and services online. Selling now is not about “hawking” a product, describing its features, etc. Instead of communicating value, customers want you to create value.

For example, you might want to arrange with your IT department to design a way for the customer to order your product more easily.

At times, you can also identify a way to build more unique customisation into your product or service so that it suits your customer’s exact need.

These days, people are looking to salespeople who are honest, have integrity, are truthful, and most importantly, care about the needs of their clients and possess a genuine desire to serve them.

Be Astonished by What the Experts Have that You Don’t

In-depth research of outstanding sales professionals has shown that these top performers share two common characteristics – the ability to establish rapport with their customers and the consistent creation of trust in all their sales relationships. These methods are the best way to secure repeat business and ensure that every sale goes well.

Many times, sales executives are confused by the difference between customers simply buying a product and a salesperson actually selling.

Just because a customer has parted with his or her money in exchange for a product or service does not mean that a sale has occurred.

For example, a customer walks into a shop to buy a blouse and the salesperson successfully finds the blouse, determines the occasion for which it is intended and how it will fit in with the customer’s current wardrobe.Then she fills in the order. Despite the fact that this may seem to be an act of selling on the salesperson’s part, it really isn’t. This is merely an example of a salesperson filling a customer’s order.

By contrast, the salesperson, in addition to selecting the correct blouse for her customer, may ask a few questions about the customer’s current wardrobe needs and learns that her client has just landed a new job.

This reveals that the customer’s real need is for professional clothing that will make a positive impression in her new workplace. The salesperson then proceeds to show the customer a new line of high-end designer suits and matching accessories the store recently received – and the customer walks out with not only the intended blouse but also a suit, matching shoes and a handbag.

That is the act of selling.

It is not just filling an order but instead, establishing rapport,determining a need and then meeting that need. A salesperson’s sole purpose is to be of service to the customer.

Only when this quality exists can the salesperson effectively communicate with, deliver for and serve the customer.

By: Richard Tan